Crews first arrived on the scene shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday night, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. Zehr’s fishing companion called 911 after he attempted to swim to the other side of the river, went under the water and never resurfaced.
The pair were fishing on the Butler County side of the river; the other side is in Hamilton County.
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Dive teams that attempted to find the man Saturday night returned to the scene earlier this morning, Colerain Twp. dispatchers told the Journal-News today, saying the search was a recovery effort.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Services Team (ERS) and the Task Force One Dive Team were called to the scene along with multiple other agencies. The rescue teams had been working together in this search effort near the U.S. 27 bridge bordering Ross and Colerain townships, the sheriff’s office said.
“The river may look shallow in areas giving the illusion of a fun time but make no mistake swift currents and undertow can turn deadly in seconds,” Butler County Sheriff Rick Jones said in a statement issued today.
A helicopter was used to assist in today’s recovery efforts to help locate the body, Roberts said.
Colerain Twp. Police Department will handle the investigation into Zehr’s death and the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office will be conducting an autopsy, he said.
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